The present invention relates generally to an industrial robot of a teaching/playback type and more particularly to a teaching method and a teaching apparatus for an industrial robot such as a welding robot the operation of which requires various and numerous items to be taught.
Heretofore, the robot of the teaching/playback type has occupied a major proportion of the industrial robots such as welding robots. In recent years, however, the industrial robot has been utilized in a wide variety of applications, and has been accompanied by an increase in the number and the type of the functions to be imparted to the robot. In contrast a, requirement for miniaturization is imposed on the teaching apparatus (also referred to as the teaching box or manipulation box) used in association with the robot, and an effort is being made to suppress as far as possible the number of keys and switches to be installed in the teaching apparatus. As a consequence, the teaching apparatus tends to be implemented in a single-key multiple-function configuration.
Under the circumstances, as an approach for coping with the complicated teaching procedure resulting from the single-key multi-function implementation of the miniaturized teaching apparatus, there has already been proposed the use of a large size liquid crystal display or displaying messages for guiding manipulation of the teaching apparatus in combination with a menu select input facility for executing the displayed manipulation procedure so that even the beginner can effect teaching the robot system, as disclosed, for example, in JP-A-H1-92080 and JP-A-H1-92823.
On the other hand, as a teaching apparatus which is oriented for the skilled users, there have been proposed and developed the teaching apparatuses of type-ahead scheme, direct access scheme or menu macro scheme which can comply with the user's requests in detail, as discussed, for example, in Ben Schneiderman's "designs of User Interface" published by Nikkei McGraw-Hill Co. ltd..
However, in the hitherto known teaching apparatuses mentioned above, no consideration is paid to the possibility of common use of one and the same teaching apparatus by those differing from one another in respect to the experience and the level of skill such as beginners and skilled users. Accordingly, although the interactive type teaching apparatus implemented as based on the combination of manipulation guidance message and menu select input facility is very favorable for the beginner, the skilled operators are confronted with a troublesome procedure adapted for the beginner because detailed guidance is presented even for the procedure with which the skilled operators are very familiar. Accordingly, with this teaching apparatus, the skill of the user can not be taken advantage of but much time is consumed wastefully in following the procedure for the beginner. On the other hand, the type ahead, direct access or the menu macro type teaching apparatuses known heretofore can scarcely be used by the beginners to any satisfactory extent. The industrial robot, once installed, is used for the same dedicated operation or work with a result that teaching of same contents is performed repeatedly for the installed robot in most of applications thereof. A relatively great number of key manipulations are required, taking much time and presenting uncomfortableness as well as fatigue of the fingers.